Suppressor for firearm and baffle cup therefor

Abstract

A firearm suppressor includes a muzzle mount; blast, intermediate and distal baffle cups; a distal end cap; and a shroud. The muzzle mount, baffle cups, and end cap thread together at threaded interfaces. Each baffle cup has an externally threaded proximal segment threadably received in the proximally adjacent component. The distal baffle cup has an externally threaded distal segment received in the end cap. The components are shaped and arranged to form sealed interfaces upstream of the threaded interfaces along the flow path of gas through the suppressor. The baffle cups include baffle walls defining chambers sized and arranged to limit first round pop. The baffle walls define vent passages extending along axes oriented at skew angles with respect to the axes of the baffle cups. A distal baffle cup includes an annular recess for reducing the weight of the suppressor adjacent the distal end.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A suppressor for suppressing a blast of a firearm and having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion spaced apart along a suppressor axis, the suppressor comprising;
 a muzzle mount forming the proximal end portion of the suppressor and comprising a proximal muzzle mounting fixture configured for securing the suppressor to a muzzle of the firearm and a distal receptacle portion defining a socket and having a distal end segment extending along the suppressor axis that is internally threaded; 
 a plurality of proximal baffle cups, each of the proximal baffle cups comprising a proximal baffle wall extending generally around the suppressor axis and a distal spacer wall having a generally cylindrical shape extending along the suppressor axis from a proximal end segment adjacent the baffle wall to a distal end segment, the proximal end segment of the spacer wall of each proximal baffle cup being externally threaded and the distal end segment of the spacer wall of each proximal baffle cup being internally threaded, the proximal end segment of the spacer wall of one of the plurality of proximal baffle cups being threadably received in the internally threaded segment of the receptacle portion of the muzzle mount and the proximal end segment of the spacer wall of each of the other proximal baffle cups being threadably received in the distal end segment of a proximally adjacent one of the plurality of proximal baffle cups; 
 a distal baffle cup comprising a proximal baffle wall extending generally around the suppressor axis and a distal spacer wall having a generally cylindrical shape extending along the suppressor axis from a proximal end segment adjacent the baffle wall to a distal end segment, the proximal end segment of the spacer wall of the distal baffle cup being externally threaded and threadably received in the distal end segment of the spacer wall of one of the plurality of proximal baffle cups and the distal end segment of the spacer wall of the distal baffle cup being externally threaded; and 
 a distal end cap forming the distal end portion of the suppressor and including a generally cylindrical receptacle portion extending along the suppressor axis, the receptacle portion of the distal end cap being internally threaded and threadably receiving the distal end segment of the spacer wall of the distal baffle cup. 
 
     
     
       2. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the receptacle portion of the distal end cap defines a radially outward and proximal facing annular shoulder. 
     
     
       3. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 2  further comprising a shroud extending along the suppressor axis from a proximal end portion adjacent the muzzle mount to a distal end portion engaged with the annular shoulder of the distal end cap. 
     
     
       4. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the muzzle mount defines a radially outward and distal facing annular shoulder, the proximal end portion of the shroud being engaged with the annular shoulder of the muzzle mount whereby the shroud is captured between the annular shoulders of the muzzle mount and distal end cap. 
     
     
       5. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the annular shoulders of the muzzle mount and the distal end cap are shaped and arranged to position the shroud in radially spaced apart relationship with the plurality of proximal baffle cups and the distal baffle cup. 
     
     
       6. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the distal end segment of the spacer wall of the distal baffle cup defines an external annular recess. 
     
     
       7. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 6  further comprising an annular seal sized and arranged for being received in the external annular recess of the distal baffle cup and sealingly captured between the distal baffle cup and the distal end cap. 
     
     
       8. A suppressor for suppressing a blast of a firearm and having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion spaced apart along a suppressor axis, the suppressor comprising;
 a muzzle mount forming the proximal end portion of the suppressor and configured for securing the suppressor to a muzzle of the firearm; 
 a distal end cap forming the distal end portion of the suppressor; 
 at least first and second baffle cups located between the muzzle mount and the distal end cap along the suppressor axis, each of the first and second baffle cups comprising:
 a baffle wall extending generally around the suppressor axis; 
 a generally cylindrical spacer wall extending along the suppressor axis from a proximal end segment adjacent the baffle wall to an opposite distal end segment, the distal end segment of the spacer wall being internally threaded and the proximal end segment of the spacer wall of each of the first and second baffle cups being externally threaded; 
 a first annular shoulder projecting radially inwardly from the spacer wall adjacent the proximal end segment thereof and defining a proximally facing sealing surface oriented transverse to the suppressor axis; and 
 a second annular shoulder projecting radially inwardly adjacent and proximal to the internally threaded distal end segment of the spacer wall and defining a distally facing sealing surface oriented transverse to the suppressor axis; 
 
 wherein the externally threaded proximal end segment of the spacer wall of the first baffle cup is threadably received in the internally threaded distal end segment of the second baffle cup to form a threaded interface between the first and second baffle cups and the proximally facing sealing surface of the first baffle cup sealingly engages the distally facing sealing surface of the second baffle cup to form a sealed interface between the first and second baffle cups at a location proximal of the threaded interface. 
 
     
     
       9. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 8  wherein each of the proximally and distally facing sealing surfaces is oriented substantially perpendicular to the suppressor axis. 
     
     
       10. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the second annular shoulder of the second baffle cup defines a sloping annular chamfer oriented transverse to the distally facing sealing surface thereof and intersecting the distally facing sealing surface at a radially inner end thereof. 
     
     
       11. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the first annular shoulder of the first baffle cup defines a first axially extending annular surface extending proximally from adjacent the proximally facing sealing surface thereof and the second annular shoulder of the second baffle cup defines a second axially extending annular surface extending proximally from adjacent the distally facing sealing surface and sized and arranged for receiving the first axially extending annular surface. 
     
     
       12. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 11  wherein each of the first and second axially extending annular surfaces has a respective diameter, the diameter of the second axially extending annular surface being greater than the diameter of the first axially extending annular surface by a diameter offset, the diameter offset being less than or equal to 0.0025 inches. 
     
     
       13. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 8  wherein each of the first and second baffle cups has a circumferential position indicator at a corresponding circumferential position thereof. 
     
     
       14. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the externally threaded proximal end segment of the spacer wall of the first baffle cup and the internally threaded distal end segment of the spacer wall of the second baffle cup are sized and arranged so that, when the threaded interface and the sealed interface are formed, the circumferential indicators of the first and second baffle cups are aligned about the suppressor axis. 
     
     
       15. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 8 , further comprising a housing that houses the first and second baffle cups, the first and second baffle cups forming a baffle cup assembly having a projectile passage extending therethrough, the housing and baffle cup assembly arranged to define an interstitial space between the baffle cup assembly and the housing, the interstitial space extending circumferentially around the baffle cup assembly, the interstitial space being sealed from gas flow from the projectile passage at least in part by said sealed interface. 
     
     
       16. A suppressor for suppressing a blast from a firearm, the suppressor comprising:
 a perimeter wall having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion spaced apart along a suppressor axis and extending circumferentially around the suppressor axis to define a suppressor interior, 
 a proximal end wall connected to the proximal end portion of the perimeter wall, the proximal end wall defining an opening extending along the suppressor axis, 
 a distal end wall connected to the distal end portion of the perimeter wall, the distal end wall defining an opening extending along the suppressor axis, 
 a plurality of baffle walls arranged between the proximal end wall and the distal end wall, each baffle wall extending in a direction generally around the suppressor axis to define a central opening extending along the suppressor axis, the plurality of baffle walls dividing the suppressor interior into a plurality of chambers configured to receive gas from the firearm, each chamber having a length along the suppressor axis, the plurality of chambers including a proximal chamber adjacent the proximal end wall, a distal chamber adjacent the distal end wall, and at least one blast chamber between the proximal chamber and the distal chamber, the proximal chamber being the proximal most chamber of the suppressor configured to receive gas from the firearm, the length of the proximal chamber being shorter than the lengths of each of the at least one blast chamber and the distal chamber. 
 
     
     
       17. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the length of the proximal chamber is less than or equal to about 60% of the length of the distal chamber. 
     
     
       18. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the length of the proximal chamber is less than or equal to about 65% of the length of the at least one blast chamber. 
     
     
       19. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the length of the blast chamber and the length of the distal chamber differ by no more than about 10% of the length of the shorter of the two chambers. 
     
     
       20. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the plurality of chambers further includes a plurality of intermediate chambers at spaced apart locations along the suppressor axis between the at least one blast chamber and the distal chamber. 
     
     
       21. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the lengths of the plurality of intermediate chambers are substantially equal. 
     
     
       22. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the length of the proximal chamber is shorter than the lengths of the intermediate chambers and the length of the at least one blast chamber. 
     
     
       23. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the length of the proximal chamber is less than or equal to about 80% of the lengths of the intermediate chambers. 
     
     
       24. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 20  wherein each of the plurality of baffle walls has a substantially identical shape. 
     
     
       25. A suppressor as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the at least one blast chamber comprises first and second blast chambers, the lengths of the first and second blast chambers being substantially equal.